Slavery has existed in Africa since the time history began. It started to decline in Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire. The British, Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and French imperialists went to Africa to trade in slaves from the 16th to the 19th centuries. Millions of Africans were abducted by the colonialists and shipped to North and South America and the West Indian Islands. Kings and Queens, merchants, bankers, property and ship owners all welcomed the enterprise as a trail-blazing method of making a fortune. Slavery was the mainstay of the agricultural plantations owned by the wealthy. Sugar was the chief crop and profits were enormous. In the British involvement in the 100-year period from 1700 to 1800 an estimated total of 2,302,774 slaves embarked from Africa, but only 1,941,299 slaves arrived at the destination. 361,475 lives were lost in the middle passage. Some of the sick were even thrown overboard while still alive. The human 'cargo' was chained together below decks in foul conditions. Unrelenting drudgery on the plantations led to a low life expectancy therefore slave trafficking continued on through the centuries.
The British slave ships sailed out from Liverpool, Bristol - and London to a lesser extent. They picked up slaves predominantly from the 200-mile slave coast of West Africa. Records from the Museum at Calabar register the number of slaves passing through Old Calabar at 1,000,000 from 1720 to 1830. Indeed statistics show that from the year 1700 to 1730, the Calabar slaves were selectively committed to the ships trading from Bristol.
The methods of recruiting slaves on the coast were very inhuman. The indigenous raiding parties went into the interior to capture a great many slaves by force. Chiefs in the villages firstly gave out all their criminals, debtors and rivals for payment. Healthy young men, then woman and even children would be shackled together and taken down river in boats to Calabar. The local Efik 'Middlemen' finally traded with the ships captains for goods... copper rods and manillas, beads and cowrie shells, guns and gun powder, brass pans, cloth, rum and whiskey, gin and tobacco. Much killing went on, with all parties in agreement with the prime objective of making their own profit at the cost of human lives. The chiefs and Kings of Duke Town were so keen for the trade to continue that every year they took young albino girls down river opposite Parrot Island to sacrifice them to the deity 'Ndem Efik'. The last sacrifice was in 1868. These sacrifices were intended to be an inducement to enable the white traders to continue to come up river for the slave trade. Many Europeans, especially the English, did not just tolerate or respect the gods or deities, but became involved for the purpose of protection and fulfilment of business agreements.
With the advent of the slave revolts and uprisings, the conversion of slaves to Christianity and the increasing difficulty experienced in the trade, many slave traders began to deal in other profitable commodities. In 1841 King Eyamba finally signed a treaty document with his Britannic majesties lieutenant to begin the abolition of slavery. The agreement was that King Eyamba would be paid 2,000 Spanish dollars annually for a period of five years.
Research shows that the Bight of Biafra was the fourth largest embarkation point for slaves (445 voyages between 1527-1866).
The reason for the History
The paternal branch of the Effiong family had its roots in Creek Town, yet the family history was unknown. In 1995, Theo and his wife Mary began to pray daily that God would open a way for them to trace the family history. Three months later, two family members came from Creek Town to Calabar looking for our family. They explained that they are the last two remaining members - Edet and Offiong, plus a half sister Nkoyo. The others all died prematurely. The family owned the village of Obot Idem in Creek Town and could no longer look after it on their own. They were hoping for help to come from the family! Theo determined to travel to Obot Idem to search out the family history.
On entering the village in Creek Town, Theo was met by a wizened, white-haired old man bent over a stick. He looked as old as Methuselah. The man came forward to welcome Theo saying that he was waiting for him because 'the oracle' had told him of his coming! When he was a small boy he had worked for Theo's great-great grandfather and knew the ongoing history of the family, therefore he was able to relate the following account.
Ebara Ebo (wealthy man) was our great-great grandfather, originally a native of Abam in Ibo land. He lived in Creek Town and was a native doctor, (witch doctor) and a sorcerer. He was the keeper of the local shrine where people came to him for guidance and for power against their enemies from the oracle at the shrine.
This was offensive enough, but worse was to come. He was a warrior responsible for killing people in raiding parties. He was also responsible for capturing slaves for the slave trade at Old Calabar. He had a reputation of being a great man in his life-time! Because of his great exploits he was given 3,000 acres of land incorporating the village of Obot Idem in Creek Town. His son inherited the responsibility and powers of the local shrine. He was also a native doctor. By disobeying the oracle, he soon died, either on the shrine or by drowning in the river. The results in the family were devastating. A curse in operation meant that almost every member died an unnatural death - rarely living beyond the age of forty years, or at the most 50 years. The generational effects filtered down. Theodore's father avoided Creek Town because of the shrine, yet as a result of the generational legacy he became the local leader of the Reformed Ogboni Fraternity. The original evil Ogboni cult was totally banned from operating by the Federal Government. He died prematurely aged 52 years. By the Lord's grace and intervention, his wife and six children were converted to Christianity and were able to escape the generational curses.
Later Theodore, Ephraim (and their wives) by prayer and fasting travelled to Creek Town and destroyed the shrine and revoked the judgmental decrees over the family line. Edet died prematurely in 1999 and Offiong has been missing since that time.
In November 2001 Rev. Dennis Nolan and Pastor Freddie Brooks from UK, attended the International Prophetic Prayer Conference at Prayer City where they were the British representatives of the Slave Trade and offered prayers, prophetic actions, repentance and reconciliation for Britain's part in the slave trade. The representatives of the slaves and the slave dealers after being released from their rope chains and the washing of their feet, were reconciled and embraced by them in a moving climax.
Ongoing ministry - Prophetic action in Bristol
Liz Crick our secretary received a powerful ministration from the Lord regarding Bristol as the target city for a prophetic action. It was the principal port of trade in slaves for a period of 100 years. We have had contact and a great deal of help from Nigel Pocock, a researcher of the history and statistics of slavery for forty years and an authority on the subject. He was able to verify many facts through his database of slave shipments covering the history of the links between Bristol and Calabar through the slave trade.
In June 2005, Rev. Theodore Effiong, Rev. Dennis Nolan, Rev. Archibong Effiong and other ministers gathered together in Bristol. David Pott, the leader of Lifeline Expedition, led this team down to the waterside in Bristol in neck yokes and leg chains to conduct a prophetic action with prayers of reconciliation for the past sins of slavery conducted by the traders in the city of Bristol.
It is through such identificational prophetic actions - coupled with repentance and warfare prayers that God brings about changes. He brings freedom from bondage to people groups, cities and individuals. Prayer City has been exercised in this way by their prophetic actions and prayers at the International Prophetic Prayer Conferences, and more recently by yet another riverside action at Calabar - representing the slave triangle.
To finalise this action, it is anticipated that a Lifeline team led by David Pott will visit the slave port of Calabar in 2007 to link up with ministers and dignitaries of the City for the healing of wounds and a release of curses from the past for all those families blighted by the sin of slavery. You can find out more about the work of David Pott and The Lifeline Expedition by visiting the following website: http://www.lifelineexpedition.co.uk
